Shinobi
by IVRedQueenVI
Summary: The World As They Knew Had Ended, Literally. Years Later, Friends Became Enemies. Enemies, Became Something More. Now, It Was Time To Put Old Grudges Aside and Rewrite Shinobi History, Their History. But How Can They Rebuild Their World When Each is More Twisted Than The Last? They were, after all, dead.
1. The Beginning is the End

**Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**  
Rated: M

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"To abandon your duty is not courageous, below the courageous there is nothing."

Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato

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**SHINOBI**  
Chapter I  
The Beginning is the End

What can change the nature of man?

Does man change when the world is taken away from him? Or will he change when he takes the world from someone else? If he changes, will he rise up a hero and fight for good, or a desolate villain who will bring the world to an end? What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins? The way he comes to life?

Or is it something else? Something _much_ harder to describe?

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There are consequences to every action; it is just not always so obvious when. You never really know how things are going to work out or how you're going to feel until afterward - thus, regret is born. You may not be able to change anything, but at least you can feel bad about it.

Never mind that it might haunt you for the rest of your life.

But the past was pretty much irrelevant now, other than the fact that it led to the present. The present, a terribly uncertain place of fear and restless doubt. But the future existed to allay those fears, and to make both the past and the present bearable. The future was a place where all their hopes and dreams lived.

And now, as they studied each other with profound determination, they were all out of future. Each of them searching, coldly. They had their good times, their bad, their happy, and their sad. In the end, reality stepped in. Childish laughter and ideals were outgrown and replaced with the path each had chosen. Some for the better, others for the worse.

After years of trying to save each other from their own personal demons, they had finally arrived to the conclusion of their respective stories. Ones they had fought so hard to change. Their fate remained the same. It all led to this, their last battle.

As if by programmed default, each held their Hitai-ate up, before tying it fixedly to their foreheads. Each nodded in a silent understanding that spoke for itself, _I respect you, Shinobi_.

The winds, calmed down. The swishing sounds of the trees were non-existent. Even the river seemed to flow gently. Other than the sounds of thundering clouds, signaling the approaching storm, the valley was quiet. As if the heavens itself waited patiently for their next move.

If there was a lesson, it was that there's no room for chance in this "business." Lives depended on certainty. Reason. Intellect. Skill. Nothing else was supposed to matter. They were the cause leading to the greater effect. The major impact. The turning point in the story.

Three hands slammed into the ground from their respective places. And with three large growls, each stood atop their summoning heads. Suddenly, the shrill cry of an eagle up above gave the clear start of the battle long postponed.


	2. Fate Worst Than Death

**umm yeah... changed the first chapter... you should start all over. Sorry. **

**Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**  
Rated: M

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There are blows in life, so powerful, I know.  
Blows as if by the hatred of God, as if before them  
the undertow of everything suffered welled up in the soul.  
There are few, but there are.  
They open dark trenches in the fiercest face and in the stongest back.  
Perhaps they are the black heralds Death sends us, perhaps.  
There are blows in life, so powerful... I know.

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**SHINOBI**  
Chapter II  
Fate Worst Than Death

She would endure.

For as long as necessary, she would endure.

"It doesn't matter." She whispered to herself repeatedly, rocking back and forth. "It doesn't matter."

A full-moon shined brightly, from behind bars fifteen feet up above. Irises, once full of curiosity were now bloodshot red, heavy dark bags under her eyes seemed more profound in what little light the moon provided. Her hair, long tresses, hung matted and unkempt.

Despite it still being summer, the chill winds of Fall slowly crept through the bars, sending goosebumps down her spine. The prisoner clothes, too thin to keep the cold out.

Somewhere across the room, the sounds of rats shuffling in the darkness, no doubt eating whatever had been her untouched dinner, brought her out of her stupor. She quickly scooted her legs closer to her body, firmly wrapping her arms around them, before crying out a hiss of pain. The medic that had seen to her injuries had done a poor job.

The day had started like all the earlier ones.

The guards came in, placed chakra cuffs to her feet and hands. They would blindfold her and place a hood over her head. Two more guards would place a third shackle, around her neck this time, and all together, would lead her to the interrogation room.

The pain, she thought, was easy to get used to. She could do nothing but replay over and over the methods used against her. Her memories replaying in a jumble. Her emotions, or lack thereof, slowly faded until only numbness remained. Numb was good. Numb created a barrier against all the bad things in the world. If she was numb, she wouldn't get hurt. Her hopes and dreams wouldn't get shattered like everything else around her.

The first week had been the easiest, she admitted. She remembered the questions and demands, to which she didn't know the answers of. Still, they kept going. Nothing could shake them of the doubt she was lying. She never pleaded, she never cried. And even as her head was repeatedly tipped back and submerged into a Water Sphere Technique, forced to experience the sensation of drowning until she lost consciousness and had to be revived, she never showed weakness. She'd swallow her tongue first, before showing them any weakness.

The second week, had been more interrogation, less torture. The interrogation lasted forty-eight hours, in which she had been drained of all chakra, doused in cold water and shocked. Afterwards, she had her hands and feet broken, only to be healed again before continuing the process, this time adding branding her in the back, with a cattle prod, her prisoner number. That time, she yelled in pain. The prod had been roughly a foot long, and each number two inches in height.

Then came the third week. Two days ago, she remembered vividly. It started with a kick in the stomach and raucous laughter. A second member grabbed her by the throat and slammed her to the wall. She struggled, trying to catch her breath from the kick, but was too weak to fight back. The man punched her a couple of times, blurring her vision. She felt the blood from her broken nose flow out without stopping and the sharp tip of metal against her bruised skin.

The man proceeded to trace the tip of the kunai from her chin, to the front of her shirt. She felt the thin material fall to the floor and calloused fingers grope her breasts. The kunai made its way down, this time, her pants were torn open. She tried to desperately shove the man off of her. He replied with another punch to the face. This time, she heard ringing in her ears, her vision blurred further. She gave a painful gasp as he forced himself inside her, too weak to fight.

The man laughed, she felt his ragged breath on her neck as he panted. She distinct made out the smell of Sake as the man, with one last thrust, fell hard on top of her, still laughing. "How was the Hokage's precious jewel?" The second man had asked. The other shook with drunken laughter, getting off of her. His partner was next.

The next day, the morning guards had found her as she'd been left. They quickly reported the act, not that it had made any difference to her. The damage had already been done.

That was when something deep within her snapped. A scarred wound, buried deep with those feelings she had once locked away, was torn opened once more.

And her eleven year old self's voice suddenly reverted loudly from withing her mind. Why did she have to suffer so much and so loyally withstand torture to protect her country? Why, after everything she had gone through, did she still clung to her vain pride and dragged herself to Konoha territory? Why, if she knew she was dying, did she still smiled that stupid childish grin and deliriously thanked them for taking care of her? Why couldn't she die behind enemy lines and go down a hero like all the others?

Why did she have to come back to the place where no one would mourn her death?!

And the solemn truth was too overwhelming. This was the death for the women warriors of Konoha. In exchange for their lives, in exchange for their silence, their name would be engraved in the Memorial Stone, as tribute to their _heroic_ death.

The feelings mixed with fear, dread, and anger fueled by her memories. Strange yet familiar, like a forgotten dream. For the first time in years, a second annoying little voice, woke up once more and made its presence known. And what she found more terrifying than to suddenly hear voices, was the fact that all rational thought was thrown out of the window. And this entity seemed to make all the sense in the world.

_Have your values sunk so low? Has everything you've worked for, been in vain? Do you still think you're fighting for all that's good? Wasn't that the reason you became more focused? Wasn't that the reason you didn't need me anymore?_ Her inner self smirked, knowingly striking nerve after nerve. _I can fight for you. I can make everything right again._

Her scared eleven year old self, whispered. _Don't listen to her! She doesn't want to help us! Don't lis- _and was gone.

They say that to uncover nonsense is frustrating. To know, to feel importance without real understanding, is maddening. Madness is an emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away forever.

Her body and mind were broken. The repeated whisper was there. She had to endure. So what if she had been raped and beaten to an inch of her life? She would endure. It didn't matter. It wouldn't matter.

The tiny voice in the back of her mind giggled.

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The walk was brisk. Once they deactivated their jutsu, one guard helped her up wooden stairs and tied the noose around her neck. He pulled the sack off before backing away.

The sun was shining brightly, blinding her at first. Once her eyes adjusted, she took a deep breath. What appeared to be the village had come to witness the execution. Many stared, anger and betrayal etched in their eyes. Others look back at her with tears. Some older man, one labeled as judge, appeared next to her, reading off a long scroll about her offenses and crimes. She ignore him throughout the speech, calmly gazing at the sun slowly rising, humming a small tune that her mother used to sing to her before tucking her into bed.

With one last breath, the man finished, "Let this be an example to all those who choose to betray our great village and Hokage! Let this be an example to all who still cling to the passive teachings of the past!" The judge roared out to the crowd, "Konohagakure no Sato will not forgive those who go against it! Traitors will be caught and executed no matter who they are!" He smiled sadistically. "Any last words, girl?"

She laughed, the first real laugh in a long while.

There was a moment of silence before the trapdoor under her feet gave away. The rope wrought around her neck, tighten from the weight of her body. The last thing she saw was the eyes of her people. She looked at all the faces and found that she couldn't help but pity them. She knew she shouldn't be angry at them. At least, she understood everything perfectly, they didn't... She pitied those facial expressions, noticeably burdened by feelings of guilt and despair. Those eyes without escape and obviously panicked. Those looks said the words silently understood, 'If I don't follow orders, I'll be killed. My family will be disgraced forever.'

There were some angry ones in the crowd, those who stood by Konoha no matter what, shouted their agreements to the Elders. There were even more sad ones, too afraid to speak up and cry for her sake. Even with the noose wrought tightly around her neck, she managed to shed several tears.

Her eyes closed, the sounds of the crowd fading away, until there was nothing but darkness and the solemn words ringing in her heart. _We must endure._

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To say it was surprising when all the clues, like cards, were played on the table, would be nothing more than foolish stubborn thinking. The higher-ups, like every politician under pressure, denied the truth. Evidence was tampered with. Deaths were kept quiet. Prominent members of society disappeared from public view, and no questions were raised. Patriotism was at its highest.

Whether it was for fear, or pride, or whatever you might call it, many kept their mouths shut. With good reason of course. Those with enough working neurons to see past this fake reality, openly displayed their doubts, those who couldn't accept this new way of life, were labeled heretics, traitors to their country - often meeting their ends by public execution. Their existence used as nothing more than examples.

And yet... People accepted this truth... After all, why would their village lie?

In one night, a group from the Hidden Village of the Rain took over Bird Country and Grass Country, the two countries nearest to them. In a week, it had taken over the smaller countries, Craftsman Country, Claw Country, and the Hidden Waterfall Village. In a month, the Hidden Rock and all its surrounding territories fell. The Earth country was lost to Akatsuki forces. With an increase in military power and more open resources available to them, via the skills of the Craftsman Country, Akatsuki easily moved, enslaving everything in their path.

In a month, the Lightning Country was overtaken.

The Mist, Sand, and Leaf remained as the last standing forces against them. Three weeks before, all communication with the Hidden Sand village seized.

Word from several merchants that had been picked up, half-dead in the border, was that the Sand village was gone. Akatsuki had destroyed the village whole. From hours of questioning, it was derived that a single person brought the village to its knees in minutes, before the sand itself swallowed everything.

Whatever happened in the Sand village, had the current Hokage, Danzo, scared. Who had enough power to destroy a whole village in a matter of minutes?

That was when a team was sent in. Their mission was to infiltrate enemy lines and recover information about the fall of the previous Hokage, Hatake Kakashi and on the Sand village itself. From the start, the mission was a failure. Only one person came back alive that day. After that, things went further downhill.

Thing was many foresaw it coming. The younger ones, and those craving infinite fame did nothing but wait for orders, excited at the turn of events that were to occur. The more seasoned ones readied their gear, ready to head out as soon as the drums of war to thundered once more. Clan-heads sent the women and children away to their northern country estates - far from ninja villages.

The Hidden Village in the Leaves, became a militarized zone. Every message, every visitor, everything and everyone going in and out of the Fire territory was throughly searched and reported to the Council and Hokage respectively. Soon after came the curfews, drills, meetings, and unnecessary searches throughout personal belongings. Everything was controlled, from the time people woke up, to the time they went to sleep.

It wasn't always like this. There was a time when things were peaceful. When children laughed and played and dreamed. There had been a time when people fought sweat and blood for their country. If she it could be pinpointed the moment when things started going downhill, it would be three months after Hatake Kakashi took the position of Rokudaime Hokage, two years earlier.

With the death of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's host, Uzumaki Naruto, and the Fifth Hokages critical condition and comatose state, after the attack on the village, Hatake Kakashi lead the village. His death triggered the war.

Returning from the Kage's Summit, his team was attacked, there were no survivors. Then Danzo took the Hokage position. The first thing he did was tell the news of Kakashi's heroic death, and achievements. He went on to mention Akatsuki, and their goal. Fear reigned, doubts rose. And amidst the chaos, there stood Danzo, like a beacon - shining brightly, the epitome of hope. His strategic skills gave him praises from many. His scars told of many hard times he had endured as a ninja.

He was the kind of person that the villagers trusted for fast results. It was no wonder many scared villagers took an immediate liking to him.

A wolf in sheep clothing... And with that, Konoha signed their own death sentence.


End file.
